We decided to mirror the NFL draft's current length -- seven rounds -- with a slight twist. Within the seventh-round team, we're also including players selected in later rounds -- the NFL draft sometimes went 30-rounds deep -- and including the best undrafted free agents in that grouping.

We discovered there's plenty of star power in the draft's lower rungs and free-agency's fringes, too. The result: several agonizing choices (see charts below).

In keeping with our general guidelines, we're giving Hall of Famers priority in most cases. Still, we wrestled with selecting our starting safeties, for example. Best Round-By-Round Teams ExplainedBelow are a few of the guidelines we formed in assembling ESPN.com's best NFL draft round-by-round teams. The project is described in more detail here.

We surveyed candidates originally signed by NFL teams in the league's drafts since 1936. The American Football League and NFL did not merge drafts until 1967, therefore players who signed originally with AFL teams between 1960 and 1966 were not considered. Players who originally signed with teams in the old All-American Football Conference also were excluded. Players were judged primarily on their performance for the team that first signed them. For example, the fact that Brett Favre is a lock for the Hall of Fame doesn't mean he was a great draft pick for the Falcons. Priority was given to players who accumulated championships, all-league/Pro Bowl citations and/or Hall of Fame numbers primarily with their original teams. We bent these guidelines in exceptional cases.

Nearly 50 years after his retirement, Hall of Famer Emlen Tunnell (free agent, 1948, New York Giants) still ranks second on the NFL career interceptions list (79, trailing only the Minnesota Vikings' Paul Krause's 81 picks). Former Pittsburgh Steelers star Donnie Shell (free agent, 1974) won four Super Bowls in his first six seasons with the team -- and gave the Steelers eight more years of solid service. Unlike Tunnell, Shell is still on Canton's waiting list.

Tunnell (1956, Giants) and Shell were part of championship winners, Wilson and Houston were not.

As you'll discover, logic is only part of this recipe -- and sometimes it's left in the pantry, lost somewhere behind the Carnation Instant Milk and that box of Wheaties with Joe Kapp's picture on it. Sometimes, we'll grant wild-card exceptions that are purely subjective and clearly defy logic.

An originally proposed all-Canton backfield of Leroy Kelly (eighth round, Cleveland, 1964) and Bobby Mitchell (seventh round, Cleveland, 1958) was shelved when some ESPN.com staffers pushed for Auburn's Bo Jackson (seventh round, Los Angeles Raiders, 1987, after Tampa Bay's 1986 draft rights expired). Bo's shelf life was limited by his dueling MLB career and the hip injury that ended his NFL jaunts in January 1991.

His career numbers (2,782 rushing yards and 16 rushing TDs) don't hold a candle to either Kelly's or Mitchell's. But what the Raiders risked -- a seventh-round draft pick -- paid tremendous dividends on and off the field for a franchise that was trying to establish a foothold in Los Angeles. After his rookie year, Jackson's play in a job-sharing role with Hall Of Famer Marcus Allen helped improve the Raiders' fortunes the next three seasons. The Raiders got great value out of a part-time, one-of-a-kind player, let alone a seventh-round draft pick.

Yes, Jackson never will be enshrined in Canton. Still …

No offense, Bobby Mitchell, but Bo leapfrogged you into our starting lineup. Hey, this is very subjective.

Likewise, it was tough to limit the best diamonds-in-the-rough wide receiver contingent to two.

It's hard to displace a pair of HOFers in Florida A&M's Bob Hayes, an Olympic track star but seventh-round reach for the Dallas Cowboys in 1964, and SMU's Raymond Berry, a 20th-round selection of the Baltimore Colts in 1954.

[+] EnlargeAP Photo/Ed AndrieskiFormer Broncos' star Rod Smith might have been the greatest free-agent receiving signing ever.Still, Denver's Rod Smith makes a strong argument. He emerged from NCAA Division II Missouri Southern in 1994 to become the dream free agent. In 12 full seasons, Smith caught more passes (849) for more yards (11,389) and more touchdowns (68) than any undrafted player in NFL history. He also snared two Super Bowl rings.

Hmmm … Berry celebrated two titles with the Colts, Hayes one with the Cowboys. Factor in length of service, too, and Smith edges the "world's fastest human" Hayes for a spot on our team by a nose.

Now where's Berry's teammate, Johnny Unitas? The Baltimore Colts legend started his NFL career as a 1955 ninth-round draft pick of the Steelers, who cut him. He didn't excel with the first NFL team to sign him, so Johnny U.'s not part of our squad.

Some of the other quarterbacks considered for the starter's role on our seventh-round and beyond all-stars included Hall of Famers Roger Staubach (1964, 10th round, Cowboys) and Warren Moon (1984, CFL free agent, Oilers).

But Bart Starr's résumé trumps them all. The former Alabama quarterback was a 17th-round selection of the Green Bay Packers in 1956, and all he did was lead them to five titles in 16 seasons. He won two Super Bowl MVPs on his way to Canton.

Suffice it to say there were plenty of debates at every juncture. Even given the infinite options of the Internet, we're not going to publish every name considered at every position. This is a highly subjective process -- and we were bound to have overlooked someone, some way, somehow.

See the charts below for some of the best lower-rung prospects the NFL has ever signed. Click here to read about Round 6.

SEVENTH ROUND AND BEYOND OFFENSE ALL-STARSHere are some of the best offensive players selected in the seventh round and beyond -- including undrafted free agents -- in NFL draft history. Pro Football Hall of Fame members are in bold face. Guards and tackles were not selected position specific.

SEVENTH ROUND AND BEYOND DEFENSE ALL-STARSHere are some of the best defensive players selected in the seventh round and beyond -- including undrafted free agents -- in NFL draft history. Pro Football Hall of Fame members are in bold face. To honor the popularity of the 3-4 defense, we picked four linebackers. Corners, safeties and linebackers were not selected position specific.

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